Ampton Point to Point hosted the Suffolk Hunts meeting on a
glorious late winters/early spring Sunday afternoon.
With the most important week ahead in the professional and
amateur jumping game of horse racing, quality racing was on offer in a seven
race card.
The meeting started off with a banger of a race.
The member’s
conditions race saw the very popular Galros
Lady top performing mare so far in the season, winner of her last three
outings going to post with eight others which included course maiden winner the
master remover, Intermediate winner Sa Kaldoun, and various other quality
pointers that had not as yet found their consistencies.
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| Galros Lady
The ground given as good to soft still had its surprises
around the home turn, were all jockeys mentioned it was very tacky.
Galros lady and the inconsistent runner
this season Ballyboker boy taking up the race, Ballyboker boy at one point
looking to take the scalp of the six year old mare but Collinson rallied the
mare up and pushed her on over the last to take the race by two lengths from Ballyboker Boy in a time of 6 min 41 secs.
‘She possibly may go hunter chasing at Stratford or
Fontwell,’ mentioned the jockey with a book of fine rides throughout the
afternoon. ‘Stratford being a possibility, though nothing in concrete as of
yet, Andrew (Pennock the trainer) said
she might just turn a bit mare’ish as we
get the better ground and weather, she is only six so we will take it as we see
it with her.’
Asked if she would be an exciting prospect for next season,
the popular jockey said with a wry smile on his face, ‘yes possible, and be
nice to have a nice ride in the foxhunters at Liverpool.’
Who knows, only to say this mare by Alhaarth is something
that might just be exciting.
Galros Lady (nearside) Ballyboker Boy (far side)
The intermediate race saw seven to post.
The improving
Nightscape out of the Rob Cundy yard, and Sea Current trained by Tom Ellis and
ridden by the ever impressive Gina Andrews were horses that did not show in the
shakeup of the race. The Tom Ellis charge pulling up from three out ‘He just
didn’t stay here and with the ground good on the run in and on the other side
of the track, but very tacky at the bottom of the course it just wasn’t to
be,’ mentioned Gina Andrews.
Rocky Island ridden by Joe Wright, trained by Thomas Messenger
saw the race won by a length from Kirstian Gray out of the Fred Hutsby yard.
Rocky Island
Rocky Island who
has not run since a disappointing run in a Hunter chase at Huntington in May on
the back of a restricted victory pounced on the below par running of the
fancied entries, and though he took his race well, would be one to take note on
his performance next time out to see if the eight year old has finally found
his from.
Second placed horse Kristian Gray lost his second place in the steward’s
tent after the race as the jockey Harry Nugent failed to weigh in at the
correct weight due the weight cloth being lost mid race.
‘I just cannot believe it,’ mentioned the jockey.’ the tack
seemed fine, and was checked at the start’. But the seven year old seemed to
run on well from the last and beat the third placed horse (now placed by the
stewards to second spot) Black Glen Boy by fifteen lengths. Mishaps put to the
side this horse should be one to note on his next appearance.
   
Rocky island pecking on landing after the last, Ridden by Joe Wright
The third race of the afternoon was a ladies open and the re
appearance of the very popular Berties
Dream. The Lauren Braithwaite trained veteran ridden by Gina Andrews seemed
to dominate the pace of the race to take the race by two lengths from the rodeo
clown and Sharp Suite.
Berties Dream
The jockey who has great affection towards the horse
mentioned ‘he really enjoyed it around here, I had to get him racing from a
long way out as others were giving him a challenge, but he is such a lovely
horse.’ Gina who has a couple of booked rides at the festival said ‘that’s my
eleventh winner of the season, Clare Hart keeps matching me every weekend so we
are neck and neck in the standing at the moment.’
Berties Dream ridden by Gina Andrews
The men’s open was taken by the Gerald Bailey trained Empire Builder ridden by George
Greenock, beating Carlanstown by a length and a half.
The ten year old by Brian
Boru who was fourth last time out to Mr Mercurial a horse that could be a good
each way bet in the foxhunters at Cheltenham and with a good run at Cheltenham could improve
the form standings of this winner.
Empire Builder
An enthusiastic ride from the jockey who mentioned ‘he made
a few mistakes on the back straight, and hated the tacky ground on the bottom
of the track so I had to really get after him to go and take the lead.’ The
horse bought out of Doncaster sales is a firm favourite of the jockey may be
seen out at meetings more often as the ground becomes better, the aim is to get
the gelding to the Cheltenham hunter chase evening meeting in the spring.
Empire Builder (No4) with second placed Carlanstown
At the halfway stage the meeting had seen quite a lot of
drama.
The Subaru restricted race would add to this as two maiden winners Tommy
O’Dwyer and The Admiral Benbow went head to head on the finish line and could
not be split by the judges. The race ran at a good pace 6m 32 sec saw the two
leaders pull away from the field leaving Counting Stars the third placed horse
by fifteen lengths.
Tommy O'Dwyer (nearside) Admiral Benbow (farside)
Richard Collinson the jockey of the third placed horse
failing to weigh in and had a trip to the steward’s tent for his error, and not
best pleased with his efforts, costing the Andrew Pennock charge his third place.
Though no fine was placed on the jockey for the error, punishment was enough
loosing the horse his placing.
Dead heat jockeys Alex Ferguson in black Jack Day in white
Tommy O'Dwyer and The Admiral Benbow
The open maiden race, split in to two divisions saw Alex
Ferguson take another trip to the winner’s enclosure backing up his dead heat
share of the prize in the last.
In the Gate ridden by Kate Gowing
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But division one was won by the Caroline Fryer trained In the gate.
The six year old by Kings
Theatre, ridden by young jockey Kate Gowing at only eighteen years old and
still studying sport for her A levels,from two out was neck and neck with
Multimedia ridden by the ever hungry Gina Andrews.
Both jockeys could
be heard for miles screaming there rides home but it was Gowing on her first
winner as a jockey who got the better of the experienced Andrews. ‘I’m so happy
with that win.’ Explained Gowing. ‘He
really jumped well for me, and it feels good to get my first winner on
board.’
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| Multimedia Gina Andrew (nearside) In the Gate Kate Gowing (farside) |
Kate explained that she rides out for Fryer before attending the
Norwich high school for girls and sees Gina as a role model of the weighing room.’
I’d love to in time to do what Gina is doing that would be great so to actually
beat her in a finish is a big honor.’
The horse pulled up in his last two starts pointing seems to
have relished the difference in the courses and going, the form book not really
showing what this horse could be about. One to note on the better ground.
Division two saw another close finish for the afternoon.
Again involved the jockey from the Subaru restricted Alex Ferguson.
Honourable
Henry ridden by Ferguson and trained by Nicholas Wright was neck and neck
with Mister Serious over the last, Honourable Henry this time getting the full
spoils of the race with the jockey riding a double for the afternoon.
‘I have had
to really ride him hard to get him to come up the hill but he is a nice horse.’
Alex who like Gina Andrews has a few rides over the festival certainly has
prepared himself for close, uphill finishes as has two winners have had to be
hard ridden to gain their places.
Honourable Henry beating Mister serious in DivII of the maiden open.
As the sun started to set below the Norfolk skyline, many
punters started for home. With one more race to run a Suffolk Hunt members and subscriber’s
race the race reflected the amount of followers that were left to watch it.
Four runners took the tapes, 50% of the runners owned and
trained by the Turner family, Ed Turner the trainer riding Franks a million.
Kriss William
But it was Rupert Stearn on the other Kriss William who came up trumps as by two out only two were left
running, the other being Floreat who was beaten three quarters of a length by
the Turner horse.
Only in action two weeks back at Horseheath the ten year old
who was then beaten five lengths by Done a Runner seemed to thrive on the
tricky track and take advantage of the lack luster field. The second placed horse
showing in previous runs this season a lack of staying power that Ampton needs.
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| Kriss William ridden by Rupert Stearn
A good win for the Turners, but Kriss William still needs to show more I feel to impress in better
company.
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